I’m in a dilemma choosing between the Skoda Rapid and the VW Vento. Below is the current scenario:
- I’m upgrading from a pre-worshipped petrol Swift Vxi (13 years old) and planning to keep the new car for at least next 7 years
- Took test drives of both Rapid and Vento and was blown away with the kind of thrust and the power delivery a small turbo petrol could put down and made up my mind to pick one of them
- Both the Skoda Rapid Onyx and Vento Highline cover most of the features that I was looking for and both come out costing very similar when the various discounts along with the exchange value of my Swift were deducted from the on road price in Bangalore
Now comes the tough part of picking between one of them and this is where I need your views and suggestions to make up my mind. The below is where I’m stuck:
Looks:
- I’m sure everyone agrees that looks are subjective and that both these machines are beautiful in their own way. The current facelifts and colors options help this case further
- Personally, love the way Rapid looks especially, the front facia reminds of its bigger siblings like the Octavia. The Lapiz blue with blacked out 16inch alloys is a beauty on the move. The Vento on the other hand looks a lot more aggressive and purposeful now with the new front grill and the grey cladding that follows the bodyline starting from front bumpers till the diffusers. But overall, I still believe too many Polo’s being seen on the road has made the Vento being misunderstood for a Polo when viewed from the front
Engine:
- The engine in the Rapid feels like it’s on a mission when you put that right foot down and picks up pace like no like man’s business. Loved the way it revvs but my wife wasn’t a fan of the sudden kick while it accelerated to glory. So, I feel the Rapid is a bit more aggressively tuned compared to the Vento. Coming to the Vento though the response is on similar lines somehow felt the kick in the pants feel was toned down and not nearly as aggressive. Not sure if it’s tuned different or if something else is at play here. The question here is has anyone felt this difference between the Rapid and Vento or is this just my assumption?
Suspension:
- This is where the Vento trumped over the Rapid. Somehow the Vento felt a lot more sure footed and stable on good and bad roads compared to the Rapid. The Vento actually felt a lot better built and planted again, I might be nitpicking here but just wondering if this is just me or is there something at play here. In general both these cars are great handlers and leagues ahead in comparison to competitions available in the market
Interiors:
- Love the all black interiors of Rapid over the beige leatherette on the Vento. But since the Vento Comfortline (which comes with full black interiors) currently seems to have halted production and the Highline being the only choice not much can be done here
- Space is very similar with the Rapid having a marginally better rear seat comfort and legroom over the Vento
- Boot thought on paper is bigger in the Vento, when physically viewed the different of 30 ltrs is negligible (494 for Vento and 460 for Rapid)
Features list:
- Rapid Onyx gives me – 16 inch clubber alloys in black, all black interior, flat bottom steering, black grey leatherette seats, LED daylight running lights with Projector headlamps
- Vento Highline gives me – 15 inch alloys, beige interior, flatbottom steering, beige leather seats, Dual lamp headlights, Rain sensing wipers, Auto dimming ORVM, Touchscreen infotainment, Cooled Glovebox, cruise control
Others factors:
- My assumption has been that VW has a good service backup, parts availabity and better responding ASC when compared to Skoda ( I’m based out of Bangalore)
- VW will be a bit more relaxed when it comes to warranty claims and sorting issues. Haven’t heard horror stories of SA’s taking customers for a ride with Vento/Polo like some owners have experienced here with their Skoda’s. I’m not generalizing here just mentioning the feedback I received from people I spoke to, please feel free to correct if I’m wrong
- Since I plan to keep the car for 7+ years expecting the Vento to get a better resale value and demand in the used car market when I finally decide to upgrade
Would love to hear your views and hopefully it will help me arrive at a decision.
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Thanks!